Beachcomber

The front-page story about DonovanRichards, in last week's editiononce again points out howfoolish it is to provide informationto an email that happens to popup on your screen. Richards providedinformation to a site thatlooked official, but was a phishingexpedition that allowed all of thepeople on his contact list to getspammed by a bogus email thatstated he needed money becausehe was trapped in Africa. We hopethat nobody sent money to thesite, but we understand that somecame close. Be careful, there are alot of bad people on the WorldWide Web.

Part of the city's plan to reorganize senior centers was to centralize them, to close all the small centers such as the Rockaway venues, sending seniors instead to one giant, multi-service center in each borough. That plan was bad enough, but under the fiscal restraints now faced by the city, it seems that the plan has morphed into one that would close local centers without opening the larger, centralized centers in some boroughs. That would mean, for example, that seniors now using the small centers in Rockaway might have to travel to central Brooklyn for service. That is not acceptable to us, nor to City Comptroller William Thompson, who asked this week for a city moratorium on any changes in the way senior citizens are serviced. We agree with Thompson that many seniors would not be able to travel long distances and would therefore forgo using the services to the detriment of their quality of life.

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaumhas shown some class by refusingto take advantage of the new termlimits extension scam perpetratedby the mayor and the city councilby declining to run for a thirdterm even though she can nowlegally do so. "It would be veryhard for me to benefit from somethingthat I fundamentally disagreewith," Gotbaum said. Whowill run for her position? Some ofthose who have already proclaimedtheir interest are CouncilmanEric Gioia; former NYCLUhead Norman Siegel; CouncilmanJohn Liu and councilman Bill deBlasio.

The city's Department of Education (DOE) is looking for "Learning Leaders," parents and grandparents who help out during the school day in their children's schools. Volunteers are vetted and trained by the DOE and provide library, lunchroom and classroom services. Those interested in getting more information or in volunteering, should go onto the DOE's Learning Leaders website at hwhyte@learningleaders. org.

Despite the fact that City CouncilmanJames Sanders Jr. had theunused firehouse on Beach 59Street pegged for a training center,the city now says that it wantsrequests for proposal from communityand cultural groups torenovate and use the 7,200-square-foot firehouse. The citysays that the space could be usedfor classrooms, offices, exhibitionsand performances. RFP's are dueby January 8.

There is now an Imax theater near Rockaway. The facility is now part of the Sheepshead Bay Stadium 14 movie complex just over the Gil Hodges Marine Parkway Bridge in Brooklyn. The theater opened on October 24 and will begin showing "Madagascar 2: Escape From Africa" on November 7.

Break out the pooper-scoopers.The citywide fine for failing toclean up your dog's poop has morethan doubled to $250. The fine hasbeen $100 ever since the law waspassed in 1978. Governor DavidPaterson signed the local law intoexistence in July, but deadbeatscoopers were given 90 daysbefore the new fines were put intoeffect. The Sanitation Department,which issues the environmentalsummonses, issued 763tickets for violation of the law lastyear, and Mayor Bloomberg hasreportedly ordered an increase inthis year's yield in order to balancethe budget.

Everybody wonders about what to tip wait service in restaurants. The Foodist Website seeks to set us straight. The basic rules: unless the server is rude, condescending, and/or completely absent, tip between 18 and 20 percent; never tip on tax. Tip based on the subtotal, because if you're calculating your tip simply by doubling the tax, you're being cheap; Unless you drink large quantities of alcoholic beverages or like very expensive wines, it's best to include booze when calculating the tip. Bartenders get a one dollar tip per drink and it's no different with wait staff.

The first of three juries in the caseagainst three Rockaway thugscharged with killing PoliceOfficer Russel Timoshenko andwounding his partner, PoliceOfficer Herman Yan as the twoapproached their stolen car inBrooklyn in July of last year. Thethree accused men, Dexter Bostic,Lee Woods and Robert Ellis, allRockaway residents, are on trialin Brooklyn Supreme Court.Three full juries are necessarybecause the three each pointedfingers at another of the men asthe shooter. Each admits that hewas there, but argues that he wasjust the driver, and the others didthe shooting. Nine women andthree men will hear the evidenceagainst Bostic. Prosecutors anddefense lawyers are now pickingWoods' jury and the jury that willhear the case against Ellis will bechosen shortly thereafter. Thetrial is expected to begin sometimenext week.